Love is sweeter the second time around chapter 36
by dementedducky
Summary: What can Stendan do while the kids are at school?


*Later at home*

"What are we gonna do with ourselves Bren?" Ste says slumping into the sofa. "I usually at least have Lucas half day to keep me busy"

"But he was with Amy most the time"

"I know but now they're with me full time it's weird knowing they should be here but they're not"

"I know what we can do with ourselves" Brendan says grinning

"I love you Brendan but I can NOT have sex with you for 6 hours a day five days a week"

Brendan laughs "Oh Steven! I wasn't talking about sex, though of course we'll find time for that, I meant…. Maybe we can start planning our wedding?"

"Really?" Ste says sitting up

"Yeah babe."

Ste smiles and him and Brendan start chatting details starting off with the obvious.

"Leah flower girl, Lucas can carry rings… what do we do about bridesmaid and best men?" Brendan says

"Well we can't ask Amy she won't be here, my parents are out of the wedding I don't want them near our special day, Who's gonna walk one of us down the aisle?" Ste says

They talk for hours coming up possible candidates and eventually it is settled that Brendan's sister Cheryl would be bridesmaid and Ste's uncle Dave (the only person who was there for him throughout his rough childhood) would give Ste away as he was the most fatherly figure he had in his life. For best man they decided Brendan's best-friend-since-they-were-kids, Toby. They then got some scrap paper and excitedly jotted down other details. It was so easy as both of them loved the same things and they compromised on the few things they didn't fully agree on.

Before they knew it, it was time to get the kids.

"When do we tell Leah and Lucas?" Ste asks holding Brendan's hand as they walk to the school

"How about tonight?" Brendan says giving Ste's hand a little squeeze.

They vow to do it as soon as they get the kids home. They stand in the playground full of parents still holding hands and having the odd look at the other like teenage kids. Brendan caught Ste gazing and this made Ste blush but Brendan just smiled softly.

The bell rang making them both jump and kids started running out of the playground. Leah was under the instruction to walk straight to Lucas' playground at the end of every day where they would all meet.

After a few minutes Lucas flies out and runs into Ste's arm. "Daddy!" he screams as he hugs him tight. He then reaches out to Brendan and Ste passes him over "Daddy Brendan! I've missed you both and look Daddy Brendan I painted you a dinosaur for your wall!" Lucas says flapping a bit of paper under his nose. The paint hadn't quite dried and Brendan ended up with a pink blob of paint on his nose. Ste laughed as he wiped it off. A minute or so later and Leah comes running out carrying her reading bag and lunch box and her unicorn bag bouncing against her back.

*They get home and Brendan sets off to make the kids a snack and get them a drink while they sit in front of the TV*

"You know we love Daddy Brendan right?" Ste says "Well, we're… when" Ste says trying to find the right words to explain gay marriage to two children

"We love daddy Brendan and you love him too. You're going to get married aren't you?" Leah says hugging Ste around the neck

"Yeah, me and daddy Brendan are getting married" He says with a sigh of relief. He was expecting questions about a man marrying another man but they took to their relationship with no questions so Ste had no reason to be worried.

"And guess what?" Brendan says bringing the drinks and snacks in on a tray

"What?" Leah asks

"Are we going to the zoo?" Lucas asks

"No little man, not today. Daddy and I want you to have a very special job Lucas, we want you to carry the rings on a special pillow"

"Don't I get a special job? I want to carry the rings" Leah says sulking

Brendan chucks her under the chin and laughs "You also have a very special job Leah, you're going to be the girl who carries the flowers and that's very important too"  
"YAY!" Leah says jumping up and down "Can I invite a friend?"

"and me!"

"Daddy and I will talk about it but maybe not to the wedding but there's a special party afterwards and if you're both good we might let you have a few friends come to party"

"YAY!" they both cry, jumping more and more.

"Will there be a horse?" Leah asks

"No sweetie probably not, horses aren't allowed in church" Ste says so she'll stop asking

"Oh OK"

The kids chattered excitedly while Ste and Brendan curled up on the sofa.

*Putting the kids to bed later that night*

"I'm glad you're marrying daddy Brendan" Leah says sleepily as Ste tucks her in

"Me too!" Lucas says as he falls asleep

"Daddy Brendan's a prince, you used to be upset daddy and now he's made you happy and you haven't been happy without mummy but daddy Brendan has made you happier than ever" Leah says quickly "He's made me and Lucas happier too. Mummy doesn't love us anymore but daddy Brendan does" Leah says yawning

"Hey! You're mummy still loves you very much but she has to take care of the sick animals remember? She'll never top loving you and Lucas ok?"

"Ok" Leah says as she falls asleep, exhausted.

Ste leaves the room and tells Brendan about what Leah just said. "She was right about one thing though" Ste says

"What's that?"

"You're our prince and I'm the happiest I have ever been in my whole life"

"Steven Hay you soppy fuck!" Brendan says pulling him and kissing him deeply.

*The next day while the kids are at school Ste and Brendan go shopping for important things including books to jot ideas down in. They go home and start sectioning everything and start compiling a small guest list*

"How am I meant to get in contact with Amy? She still hasn't sent me any letters about her new address or anything"

Brendan wraps his arms around Ste from behind "I know this is gonna be hard but we need to try and forget about her Steven, I won't have her making my man and our kids miserable with her selfishness"

Ste kisses Brendan's arms "You're right. I'm sorry baby"  
"You have nothing to be sorry about. She's the one who walked out on you and the kids and she's the one to selfish to even contact you to ask about her children"

"I know, but she's still their mum"

"I know that Steven but I'm gonna prove to you that you don't need her. I'll be all you and the kids need I promise."

"Where would me and the kids be without you eh?" Ste says knowing full well by now he'd be on the streets and the children in care if Brendan hadn't come along and like a true prince whisked him off his feet.


End file.
